Unfortunately, these days it’s virtually impossible to avoid exposure to heavy metals. They’re in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the products we use. They accumulate in our organs, tissues, fat cells, and bones where they can remain for years. And although our bodies naturally possess specific mechanisms to eliminate them, they were not designed to cleanse the current number of toxins we dump into our environment—and as a consequence our bodies—on a daily basis. Over time, toxic overload of heavy metals in the body can either cause disease or complicate existing diseases.

Aluminum Exposure

Aluminum is one of the most common heavy metals we’re exposed to due to its ubiquity in our environment and the products we use. Vaccines, cookware, antiperspirants, dyes, cosmetics, and food additives are common means of exposure to aluminum. It’s a neurotoxin that is damaging to the barrier that protects the brain from possible toxins in the blood, particularly when found in combination with mercury. Aluminum can inhibit over 200 important biological functions in plants, animals, and humans. Research has shown that it plays a role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Lou Gehrig’s.

Ways to Test

You can test for aluminum by checking the serum aluminum level in your blood through a simple blood test. Another way is to measure the aluminum excreted through urine. This is usually done after a provoking agent such as Desferal is administered, often intravenously. You can also check for porphyrin levels in the urine. Porphyrins are proteins that are very sensitive to toxin exposure and tend to increase when there is a heavy metal burden in the body. Finally, you can check for aluminum and other heavy metals by submitting a sample of your hair to a lab.

Ways to Detoxify

Cilantro taken as a tea or tincture is an effective way to detoxify aluminum. When used in conjunction with an ionic foot bath, which exposes the body to high levels of negative ions (thus improving a cell’s metabolic process), heavy metal excretion is promoted through the kidneys. The mineral silica has shown to be protective against the accumulation of aluminum in the brain. In addition, there are agents you can use to bind and excrete aluminum through the gut or urine. These agents include magnesium malate, zeolite, and injectable agents such as Desferal.

There are many strategies you can implement to detoxify aluminum and other heavy metals from the body. Speak with your doctor before beginning any new medical detoxification program to determine which approach is best for you and your health.